Joni Smith, executive director of the Northeast Georgia Chapter of the American Red Cross, said the support is needed and appreciated, especially in recent weeks when the agency has seen a record-breaking number of fires displace local families.

Partner agency St. Vincent de Paul, which provides immediate assistance to local families in need, has also seen increased requests for help, despite the economic uptick happening in the region.

"While I'm glad that it seems like the economy is doing a little bit of an upturn, it hasn't affected all of those that are at the bottom just yet. We've had record-breaking, unfortunately, numbers of people requiring our services for the very first time this year," she said.

"We are so grateful to the United Way for their ongoing support of our mission."